NCMC Annual Conference Registration

This easy to moderate four mile hike will be led by veteran hiker Danny Bernstein, author of “Hiking the Carolina Mountains” and “Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage.” The hike along the Kephart Prong Trail includes a visit to one of the CCC camps that built the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, a guided tour of the Mountain Farm Museum, and a visit to see the new exhibits at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. A light lunch provided. Participants should wear good, sturdy sneakers or hiking boots. Fee includes membership in Friends of the Smokies. Carpool from Renaissance Hotel. There will be a $40 fee in addition to the NCMC Conference registration fee for this activity. Space is limited.

Visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and Qualla Arts and Crafts in Cherokee before heading out the WCU campus to for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Mountain Heritage Center and viewing of the art collection at the Fine Art Museum. Tour will be led by Explore Up Close Tours. Transportation, historical commentary, and water provided. Pickup at and return to Renaissance Hotel There will be a $40 fee in addition to the NCMC Conference registration fee for this activity. Space is limited.

led by Thomas Wolfe Memorial site staff. Meet at Riverside Cemetery

sponsored by the Art Section. Meet at the Renaissance Hotel. Join Denise Drury and Hilary Frye from the NCMC Art Section as we embark on a walking tour of private collections and unique lofts in Downtown Asheville. Tour includes a light reception at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Please register early; space on this tour is limited.

presented by NC Connecting 2 Collections NC Connecting 2 Collections provides this opportunity to get down and dirty with your collections issues from basic record-keeping and storage tips to recognizing conservation problems and planning for disaster. Hands-on activities will give participants the experience of storing, cleaning, or repairing specific types of objects. It’s a taste of the training and theory found in Connecting 2 Collections’ day-long workshops – in bite-sized portions! Registrants by or before the Early Bird Deadline will receive information on how to submit a question to be answered and discussed during the workshop! There will be a $5 materials fee in addition to the NCMC Conference registration fee for this workshop. Space is limited; register early.

This workshop led by exhibit specialists provides practical advice and hands-on experience for making your museum’s exhibits better and more engaging. If you are the exhibit designer for your museum and your budget is more shoe-string than string-of-pearls, you can still develop great exhibits with the information you’ll take home. Registrants by or before the Early Bird Deadline will receive information on how to submit a question about a problem they are experiencing to be answered during the workshop! Space is limited; register early.

presented by the NCMC Student Affairs Committee Students have the opportunity to meet and interview experienced museum professionals during this fun and modern take on an ice-breaker. Learn about their jobs and experiences and receive advice and coaching for your future career.

Reception begins at Asheville Art Museum and proceeds to Black Mountain College Museum before finishing with desert at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site.

Two successful mountain-area museum partnerships present the benefits and rewards of banding together for support and problem-solving. Participants will form regional break-out groups to share their issues and challenges and to find common ground for cooperation. This is an excellent opportunity to network across museum types and sizes and to forge collaboration in geographical areas. Moderator: Kaye Myers, Cultural & Heritage Specialist, NC Department of Cultural Resources

Learn about developing a travelling trunk program. Which of your themes will work, what items should you put in the trunk and where do you get them, and how much can it cost? What are the practical considerations? And, how are teachers and students utilizing your trunks in the classroom?

A museum serves as a powerful force in reinforcing widely-held beliefs or challenging the status quo whether related to 9/11, the Civil Rights Era or the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Identity and nationalism demonstrated in exhibits can be either positive or negative for public perception and visitation. Learn to look at your museum, its programs and it public presentation with fresh eyes and new knowledge.

Virtual exhibits are challenging and revolutionizing the concept of a museum by making collections accessible to a global audience at anytime. What are the advantages and disadvantages of on-line exhibits? And, importantly, do visitors find them engaging? Is this approach right for your museum? Members of the team behind A Change Is Gonna Come discuss what they learned from the process of developing an on-line exhibit and from evaluations of outside reviewers.

New information prompted a year-long transition in the interpretive focus at Historic Oak View County Park, from a story which focused on the big house to one which includes the entire farm community. Staff discusses and evaluates the research project, the process of making major site changes and their initial results with visitors.

There’s an App for that! An education department takes advantage of technology to reach the public, specifically by developing their own “App” for the iPad to complement a traditional travelling trunk. Learn about the reasoning process for developing the App and the results.

Learn how to develop a successful volunteer program. Presenters will discuss strategies of recruitment, retention, and training, utilizing volunteers’ unique skills, and expanding a volunteer program. Also learn how a Volunteer Leadership Committee can help you succeed with these important tasks and expand your volunteer program.

Arts Honors students at North Carolina A & T State University embarked on a unique learning experience documenting in a panoramic photo environment the Biltmore Library ceiling painting as it exists and re-creating how the painting may have looked in its original state in an 18th Century, Venetian ballroom. Students will showcase some of the photographic technologies and modeling environments that they used for the project.

This session, led by a 30-year museum and development professional, will focus on how museums can effectively communicate their missions to the right funders. Differences in proposals to corporate, foundation and government sources will be discussed. In addition, key strategies for researching funding sources will be shared.

This lively, interactive, and dynamic session will include three short presentations focusing on unique approaches to community-based, collaborative programming which have yielded new friends and new partnerships. Following the formal presentations, participants will form breakout groups to discuss and share ideas more thoroughly on each topic. Come prepared to take away new ideas and leave some of your own!

A Registrar/Collections Manager and a Public Relations/Marketing/Membership Coordinator collaborated to create, publicize and market a special fund drive for conserving collection objects. Learn about their idea, process, successes and failures and get some advice on fundraising to support your own collections.

How can university students participate effectively with small museums? Finding the right fit that is attractive to students and also benefits a small museum can be challenging. Hear from program administrators how to form partnerships with academic departments, and learn how these future professionals can help your museum succeed in everything from exhibit development, visitor services, to technology and “friend-raising.”

Want to learn about Facebook & Twitter? Then don’t come to this session; we’re not talking about that. Budgets are stretched and time is tight: there has to be more efficient ways to tackle common museum tasks like scheduling, project timelines and visitor surveys. Learn about free, practical, non-Windows software and how you can implement the solutions this software can offer at your museum. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop.

Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, Visitor Center Auditorium Museum staff wear many hats. Is “Museum Shop Manager” one of them? Participate in a discussion of tips and advice on making your museum’s store function more effectively. Come prepared to ask questions and share your own problems, issues and solutions. This session will provide a springboard for networking and resources that all North Carolina museums can access to make their own museum shop better!

Take a tour of the "Old Kentuckey Home", Thomas Wolfe's childhood home.

Visit Dry Ridge Museum and Vance Birthplace State Historic Site in nearby Weaverville. Tour will be led by Explore Up Close Tours. Transportation, historical commentary, and water provided. There will be a $30 fee in addition to the NCMC Conference registration fee for this activity.

...amid a 434-acre public garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Surrounded by lush folds of the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum is adjacent to the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, at Milepost 393, and is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural settings in America.

Take a behind the scenes visit to the Biltmore House conservation labs.

If your NCMC membership is due to expire in the comings month please renew by checking the box below. If you are a student please renew your existing membership, or join NCMC for only $5. Use the check box below. Please note students have to be currently enrolled and poses a valid student ID from their Institution to join.